The Blessings of Genetics
by JacquiT
Summary: Caine might just understand why the Entitled fuss about genetics, after all.


"Your Majesty makes a very regal sight this morning."

Jupiter flicked her gaze from the sheave she was reading over to Caine, who was laying on the floor in front of her, on his side, right arm propping up his upper body. She made a face at him and then went back to her sheave, burrowing herself deeper into the couch. "Shut up."

It was a cold late-winter morning in the mountains of Montana, where Jupiter had settled her operation – while on Earth, anyway. She'd chosen this particular place because it was incredibly secluded and beautiful, and provided all the privacy she needed. There were no prying neighbors' eyes, and therefore fewer chances that someone might see something they shouldn't and need a visit from the Keepers. Originally, it was just a house, modern and big enough, with lots of windows, an open floor plan, and natural light. She'd added other buildings as needed – what amounted to a small office complex and guest quarters, mostly for her security detail. There was also more than enough room for small space craft to land, and for Jupiter and Caine to fly around as they liked.

It had been roughly ten years since her Ascension; eventually, she'd told her mother and Nino everything. They had been shocked, skeptical, horrified and dazzled in equal measure, just as Jupiter had been herself. Aleksa had been fully prepared to dislike Caine, but one look at him while he gazed upon Jupiter destroyed any doubt she had that her daughter was more than just loved.

"I think it's the Wonder Woman lounge pants," Caine continued, that same devoted look on his face. "Or the antiquated spectacles perched on your nose, perhaps."

"I bought these glasses a month ago," she replied disinterestedly. "They're not antiquated, they're a useful tool."

"So is surgery."

"Not if it involves people juice."

"Not all surgeries involve people juice, your Majesty. There are alternatives; you've overseen the creation of at least one of them." He leveled his amused grin at her until she granted him the glance he was waiting for; a deep smile and a chuckle came with it. She couldn't help it. Aleksa had once told her that Max knew how susceptible she was to his charms and commonly took advantage of that fact to direct her affections; Caine wouldn't dream of toying with his Queen, even in such a loving way, but she did love when he teased her.

He turned back to the reason he was laying on the floor to begin with, which had arrested his attention since breakfast. "Your Highness," he said, with as much love and devotion as he ever used addressing Jupiter, "your mother is being very silly."

The little royal in question, Caine and Jupiter's five month old daughter Nerea, gleefully buzzed her lips, spraying spittle everywhere, including her father's face.

"Thanks, Neri." Caine wiped his face with his hand and watched as his daughter – and Jupiter – giggled at him. He couldn't help chuckling himself, and leaning in to kiss her little cheek.

And then, with a startled gasp, he jerked back and touched his cheek, and was alarmingly still.

"Caine?"

He looked up at Jupiter, stunned. "She bit me."

"Oh!" Jupiter set her sheave down and rushed over; there was a tiny pink welt starting to bloom on Caine's left cheek. When she started to scold Nerea, he sat up, and pulled the little girl into his arms.

"No – Jupiter – she meant. . . ." There were tears in his eyes, and he held the baby close. Nerea buzzed her lips and put one hand on his right ear and the other on his nose, and leaned in again.

Caine squeezed his eyes shut, but not in pain. He leaned into it; when she released him she beamed, and then nuzzled the side of his face, the same way he always nuzzled her. He could only hold her close and bask in her affection.

Jupiter's scowl cleared in understanding, and she grinned in delight. " _Ohh_. . . she _bit_ you." She sat down next to them and put her hand on Nerea's back, smiling at her. "You love your daddy, don't you Neri?" Nerea gurgled and pressed her cheek to Caine's mouth.

He nuzzled her, but only kissed, and nudged her head away. The baby persisted, but Caine demurred.

"Caine – you have to bite her back."

He shook his head. "I can't," he whispered.

"She wants you to."

"I _can't_ , Jupiter."

Arguing with her daughter's father over the reasons why he should bite her was not even close to being the weirdest thing Jupiter Jones had done in the last ten years. "You'll break her tiny little heart!"

"My teeth are sharper than hers-"

"So be careful. But she wants you to show her that you love her."

Caine heaved a sigh, and knew that Jupiter was right. He ran his tongue over his front teeth, trying to gauge the least sharp spots, and when Nerea pressed her face toward his mouth again, he opened his jaw and left a delicate bite on the apple of her right cheek. She nuzzled him, and then pressed her left cheek forward; when he'd bitten it she giggled, and nuzzled him again. Then she snuggled herself into his chest, and patted her hand against his shoulder as she breathed deep and became instantly droopy-eyed.

"How does she know?" he asked, an awe-filled whisper into Nerea's hair. "Jupiter, how does she know? The way she breathes . . . the nuzzling . . . the biting. She doesn't have a litter and I've never bitten her; how does she _know_?"

Jupiter smiled, and her heart filled up with love for both of them. "Albino runt lycantant DNA," she replied. "She _knows_ and _loves_ her Daddy."

He closed his eyes. The Entitled were always going on about the blessings of genetics. Jupiter had been saying for a long time that the reason he'd been told his anti-Entitled instinct was a defect was because he'd always been able to just see right through their bullshit. No one set of genes was superior to any other set of genes. He liked the thought, but supposed that was because he'd been handed such an incredibly shitty set of genes himself.

But maybe there _was_ a blessing in genetics. Not the kind that elevated a person to exclusive levels of society for having done nothing more than being born. No, he decided – _this_ was the blessing in genetics. This blessing that allowed a daughter to see herself in her father, that allowed a father to look into the eyes of a tiny little blob of a being and see the miracle unfolding day by day as he watched.

That allowed him to remember – because, given that shitty genetic hand, and a lot of other reasons, he needed the reminder – that he was worthy of the love she poured into every giggle and nuzzle and breath (and bite!), simply because she knew she belonged to him.

And he was grateful, so beyond grateful, that the combination of his genes and Jupiter's yielded a child whose first instinct was love, and its expression.

He settled on the couch next to Jupiter with Nerea in his arms, and despite the objections of her mother and her nanny, allowed his little princess to take her morning nap cuddled into his chest, with his left wing as her blanket.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


End file.
